| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
USDA-ARS, North Central Soil Conservations Res. Lab., N. Iowa Ave., Morris, MN 56267
* Corresponding author.
Plant water deficits during flowering and early kernel growth reduce the yield potential of maize (Zea mays L.) by decreasing kernel number per ear. Our objective was to determine if zygotic abortion, which increases in water-deficient plants, is caused by a decrease in assimilate supply to the ear. Plants were grown in soil/sand media in a controlled environment. Beginning at silk emergence and continuing for 3 wk after pollination, leaf photosynthesis was inhibited 
50% (moderate) or 100% (severe) by withholding water (water-deficit treatment) or decreasing light intensity (low-light treatment). Silk water potential (
w) at pollination was about –0.7 and –1.1 MPa in the moderate and severe water-deficit treatments, compared to about –0.4 MPa in well-watered plants. Mean kernel number per ear was 581 in control plants and was decreased 48 and 99% by the moderate and severe water-deficit treatments, respectively. In the corresponding low-light treatments, kernel number was decreased 40 and 100%. Thus, losses in kernel number pe ear reflected the relative inhibition of photosynthesis during early kernel growth, regardless of plant water status. Compared to controls, the water-deficit and low-light treatments decreased partitioning of dry matter, carbohydrates, and reduced N to the kernels. However, carbohydrates continued to accumulate immediately after pollination in the stalk and leaf tissue. This suggests that some stalk and leaf reserves were unavailable to support early kernel growth at low w. Collectively, these data indicate that early kernel development is highly dependent on a continued supply of carbohydrates from concurrent photosynthesis. Water deficits increase the probability of developmental failure by limiting this supply.
Received for publication April 11, 1990.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  J. S. Boyer and J. E. McLaughlin Functional reversion to identify controlling genes in multigenic responses: analysis of floral abortion J. Exp. Bot., January 1, 2007; 58(2): 267 - 277. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. Monneveux, C. Sanchez, D. Beck, and G. O. Edmeades Drought Tolerance Improvement in Tropical Maize Source Populations: Evidence of Progress Crop Sci., December 2, 2005; 46(1): 180 - 191. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. MAKELA, J. E. McLAUGHLIN, and J. S. BOYER Imaging and Quantifying Carbohydrate Transport to the Developing Ovaries of Maize Ann. Bot., October 1, 2005; 96(5): 939 - 949. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. S. Boyer and M. E. Westgate Grain yields with limited water J. Exp. Bot., November 1, 2004; 55(407): 2385 - 2394. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. J. Earl and R. F. Davis Effect of Drought Stress on Leaf and Whole Canopy Radiation Use Efficiency and Yield of Maize Agron. J., May 1, 2003; 95(3): 688 - 696. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
Y.-L. Liang and H.-S. Lur Conjugated and Free Polyamine Levels in Normal and Aborting Maize Kernels Crop Sci., July 1, 2002; 42(4): 1217 - 1224. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Carcova and M. E. Otegui Ear Temperature and Pollination Timing Effects on Maize Kernel Set Crop Sci., November 1, 2001; 41(6): 1809 - 1815. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. L. Setter, B. A. Flannigan, and J. Melkonian Loss of Kernel Set Due to Water Deficit and Shade in Maize: Carbohydrate Supplies, Abscisic Acid, and Cytokinins Crop Sci., September 1, 2001; 41(5): 1530 - 1540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Stamp, S. Chowchong, M. Menzi, U. Weingartner, and O. Kaeser Increase in the Yield of Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Maize Revisited Crop Sci., November 1, 2000; 40(6): 1586 - 1587. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Cárcova, M. Uribelarrea, L. Borrás, M. E. Otegui, and M. E. Westgate Synchronous Pollination within and between Ears Improves Kernel Set in Maize Crop Sci., July 1, 2000; 40(4): 1056 - 1061. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. H. Andrade, M. E. Otegui, and C. Vega Intercepted Radiation at Flowering and Kernel Number in Maize Agron. J., January 1, 2000; 92(1): 92 - 97. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Agronomy Journal | Vadose Zone Journal | |||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Soil Science Society of America Journal | ||||
| Journal of Plant Registrations | Journal of Environmental Quality |
The Plant Genome | |||
